1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processing performed in a system configured to monitor and manage an operation state of an image forming apparatus when starting monitoring based on registration of management information about the image forming apparatus in a management server.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a service person performs an installation operation of an image forming apparatus in a client system environment, and a confirmation operation regarding whether communication between the installed image forming apparatus and a management server is normal. In view of this situation, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-340239 discusses a system in which a button for performing a communication test with a management system is provided on an operation panel of an image forming apparatus, and when the communication test is successfully performed by pressing the button, the management and monitoring of the image forming apparatus is started.
In principle, once a contract relating to utilization has been concluded between a vendor and a customer, and the image forming apparatus has been installed in the client system, the apparatus should be able to be used by the client as soon as possible. Moreover, the installed image forming apparatus should transmit the information required for monitoring to the monitoring server so that the monitoring service can be started.
However, to provide an appropriate monitoring service based on the contract, verification between information included in the communication test from the installed image forming apparatus and management information in the management server has to be confirmed. Therefore, it would be desirable to enable the monitoring service to be started by quickly performing a communication test on the image forming apparatus side in conjunction with registration of the management information about the management server.
In addition, recently, in order to reduce the service costs of dispatching a service person, measures are being discussed for reducing the number of call outs of maintenance-dedicated service person by allowing the image forming apparatus delivery and installation company or the client system administrator to easily perform operations such as the above-described installation confirmation.